


Clothed in Crimson

by LunaticLenny



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2018-12-26 01:26:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12048441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaticLenny/pseuds/LunaticLenny
Summary: One hundred years ago in an alternate past, the Yiga clan reign terror on all who would stand in thier way as Calamity Ganon's awakening nears every day. In efforts to thwart the hero from defeating him they plan thier most daring maneuver yet: to steal the Master Sword. Will try to update on a monthly basis.





	1. The Master Sword: Stolen

**Author's Note:**

> Thank for clicking on my story!
> 
> Whether you decide you like it or don't, any feedback would be appreciated! I'm trying to improve my skill as a writer and my knowledge as a LoZ fan so I write better quality content as this story progresses. With that said, I hope you enjoy this tale I have to tell.

Fire consumed everything as the ravenous flames licked the edges of the innermost part of the Korok forest. Everything outside the natural stone barrier that surrounded it was burnt to a crisp from the Yiga Clan's cruel assault. The koroks hid in the foliage of the trees and bushes while the clan itself swarmed the forest eager to claim what they had come for: the Master Sword. The legendary blade protruded from its place in the ground at the center of the clearing, radiating a power that could be felt by anyone who understood how important it was. The Yiga however, were not such people and simply saw the sword as a part of their plan in ensuring the hero of legend couldn't stand against Ganon when he unleashed chaos onto Hyrule.

They stood around the stone clearing where the Master Sword rested with an excited chatter as they inched forward like beasts ready to pounce on their prey. None stood out from the rest except for a tall muscular figure that gave off a supreme aura of importance. Clearly he was the one in charge and responsible for everything as it were now. He stepped forward into the open area, the others falling silent with anticipation as he lumbered towards the blade that seemed so small and fragile in comparison to him. As he planted his feet firmly on the ground ready to draw the sword a booming voice echoed within the untouched forest, _'You make a grave mistake, servant of Ganon. The Sword of Evil's Bane will not allow you to free it from its place of rest. '_

The blademaster looked around the clearing for the source of the voice to see nothing, unless the origin of the message was one of the cowering koroks, until he noticed the great tree overlooking them had a face. 'So you're the one in charge?' He asked mockingly, 'So then tell me, why I wouldn't be able to take that little knife and go on my merry way?'

_'Only the chosen hero may draw the Master Sword, any other would have their life force extinguished,'_ the Tree warned the intruder.

The Yiga foot soldiers shifted uneasily and looked to each other, shaken by its words but the burly man responded with an uproarious laugh that quickly grew in volume, reverberating through the clearing and drowning out all other sound. 'Do you honestly think we'd be scared of something a gnarled twig said?!' He exclaimed before waving his arms out to the others accompanying him, 'We are Yiga Clan; we'll do whatever it takes to bring the destruction of the Royal family and all of Hyrule!' The clan cheered with his words as their previous weariness melted away into confidence.

The Deku Tree gave a defeated sigh, 'If my words mean nothing to you all I can hope is none perish from your foolishness, no matter how corrupted you may be.'

The blademaster gave a haughty laugh, 'You should be more worried about getting on my bad side and becoming a pile of ash! The rest of your woods already are because we couldn't find our way.' The others laughed and jeered at the Deku tree as well before he finally turned to face the rest for the clan present, silencing them once more, 'I think it's only fair one of you draw the sword so you can become recognized as a valued member of the clan to Master Kohga.' Despite believing what the tree had said was a last attempt to drive them away, what if there was an ounce for truth to their words? Of course he wouldn't admit it, but it didn't mean he couldn't push the task onto someone else. No one would question him so there was no fear in coming off as a coward. 'You there!' he barked, pointing to first individual he saw, 'Retrieve the sword and once we return to our hideout I'll give you the honour of presenting it to the Master.' The certainty the clan member had moments ago vanished once more as they stared forebodingly at where the sword lied. It seemed everyone was plagued with the same uneaseiness. The clan member slowly took a step towards it; then two, a sense of dread filling their entire body until they stopped frozen in place.

'Well? On with it!' The blademaster commanded, 'You wouldn't want to disappoint us, would you?'

They stood still, trying to will themself to walk forward but were unable to. 'I- I-' They stuttered before quickly retreating back into the crowd, 'I can't do it! I'm sorry!'

He shook with rage but said nothing to the clan members. To let it get the best of him now would make them begin to doubt why he simply didn't do the task himself, even if they didn't vocalize it. They couldn't know he didn't want to attempt drawing the sword, though if he kept picking people for the job and was met with the same results he might had have to.

'Then any one of you, prove your bravery to me and the clan by claiming the sword! Do any of you volunteer to do this one simple task?!' He yelled to the foot soldiers as they looked to each other to see who would prove if the Deku tree was speaking the truth or if it was a lie. One lone hand rose upward in the crowd, although difficult to see due to small stature of the person it belonged to, causing all eyes to be drawn to them. 'You there, come forward!' the blademaster commanded. The Yiga members in front of them dispersed, creating a path as the sole volunteer walked forward with caution.

'Who would have guessed you of all people would volunteer?' The blademaster commented pointedly, instantly recognizing the individual despite the fact they wore a mask. 'Just get it over with so we can be on our way. I hate this climate; too green.'

The unknown Yiga member gave a nod to their superior before carefully approaching the sword, feeling the eyes of koroks and their clansmen alike, watching their every movement. Though the others were not able to feel its power they sensed a strong, cold energy from the blade rolling off in waves that seemed to want to push them away. However past the hostile exterior they felt a small, almost inviting warmth. The foot soldier paused for a moment, feeling unsure if they should turn back like the previous attempter before deciding to continue forward, placing their hands on the sword's hilt firmly.

They took a breath and began exerting pressure and slowly pulling it from its place in the ground. The Yiga clan grew louder for each inch of the sacred metal that came into view as the koroks shrieked in horror hoping for the lowly clan member to fail. As more of sword's blade revealed itself the clan member could feel themself growing weary as if they were tired, however some part of them knew that they were dying. They felt a panic rising inside of them but despite their instincts screaming at them to let go they stayed dedicated to the task, removing the sword little by little until with one final ounce of strength, they drew the Master Sword and raised it skyward for all to see.

The clan roared in triumph, mocking the Great Deku tree and fanatically raving about the soon to be end of the royal family and all who stood by them. The blademaster snatched the sword from the foot soldier and announced, 'Don't celebrate yet my brethren, but wait until Master Kohga can see the fruit of our efforts!' The Yiga cheered and began to march out the clearing feeling victorious, leaving the forgotten clan member collapsed onto their knee, shaking from the endeavour.

The koroks came out from their hiding places in the brush and cautiously eyed the weakened Yiga member. Only the chosen hero could retrieve the Master Sword, yet they of all people were able to. They couldn't possibly be the chosen hero... could they? _'You shouldn't have been able to draw the Sword of Evil's Bane,'_ the Deku Tree stated, as if it were a fact, _'yet you have and doomed us all if Calamity Ganon were to rise now.'_

The clansman didn't want to listen to the tree's words but had no other choice until their strength returned to them. The Deku tree seemed to sense this and spoke quickly before he lost their attention, _'There is still time to makes things right. If you are the chosen hero remain here so you may receive training to wield the Master Sword. You only barely survived drawing it but with time-'_ they shakily rose to their feet without even glancing at the Deku Tree and began to limp after the long gone clan, leaving the spirits of the forest and their guardian alone in their now destroyed home.  
__________________________________________________  
The Blademaster stayed true to his word and once they had made the journey back to the hideout the foot soldier proceeded with them, Master Sword in hand, to deliver it to Master Kohga. They came out of a short hallway into a room rather symmetrical in design with red drapes adourned with the Yiga signia as well as stone frog statues similar to the ones that flanked the path to the hideout. On the other side of one of the walls opened to the pit area but there would be no need to go there as their master stood in front of them in all of his imposing glory.

Both of them dropped to their knee and bowed their heads in respect. 'Master Kohga,' the blademaster said in greeting. When their secondary failed to speak they twisted their head to look at them with what was surely a glare.

'Now there's no need for that,' Master Kohga said, 'We both know he doesn't talk much.'

'That shouldn't be an excuse for not showing his respect for the master,' the blademaster retorted, 'He should be punished.'

'Very well, discipline him later if you want to.' Master Kohga decided, 'For now, report to me on the mission. Was it a success?'

The footsoldier reached behind them to the hilt on his back and unclasped it, holding the Master Sword in front of them. Despite it not supposing to look at the Master, he could help but look up in the slightest to see his reaction. Would he be proud?

Master Kohga picked up the sheathed sword and held it in front of them, examining it before saying a simple, 'Ah. Good work... both of you.' With that he turned to place the Master Sword on a stone slab behind him, admiring it for a moment before realizing they were still there.

'You're both dismissed,' Master Kohga commanded.


	2. Smoke and Mirrors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess when I said I would take a month to update I really meant it. I'll try to see if I can shorten my update time, but I guess we'll have to see.  
> Thank you for the kudos as well, they were much appreciated! I'll try my best to keep up with the expectations I have set.

It was back to business as usual for the Yiga clan, for better or worse. They had spent a week celebrating their triumph before one of their spies at Hyrule Castle had informed Master Kohga the Princess planned to travel to Gerudo Desert for unknown reasons, though the clan knew what for. The Master Sword. The turn of events worked perfectly in their favour as they could eliminate her as end the last remaining threat to Ganon. All they had to do to ensure she fell into their hands was monitor her journey every step of the way, which was a simple task with how far the clan’s influence extended. The most critical part of the mission however was when the Princess arrived to the Gerudo Canyon stables. There they would be able to determine whenever she planned to leave and intercept her once she was in the desert and farthest away from help should she call for it.

He mulled over the information in his mind as he walked down the corridors of the Yiga Clan hideout, passing by his fellow clan members as he made his way to a set of sliding doors. He knocked briefly before sliding the door open to see a Sheikah woman who looked to be in her forties on the other side turned away from him. Trea turned around, her eyes brightening as she saw him, then slitted with unamusement, ‘I thought you were going to late, again.’

He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly before she waved her hand dismissively, ‘Don’t bother trying to give me excuses! Not that you would anyway…. Let’s just focus on what you're here for: your first time going undercover!’ Her face crinkled and she gave a large smile, making her look older yet youthful at the same time. He tried to return the grin but before he knew it she was tossing a handful of clothing in his arms and ushering him to a divider in a corner of the room.

‘Put those on and then we can get started on the fun part of disguises! Make sure to leave on your uniform though,’ Trea explained excitedly. She left him alone as she went back to her original spot in the room, examining some bottles and vials that lied on the floor as well as on a low vanity. He pulled on the clothing she had gave him over what he was already wearing, noticing it looked rather worn and old. She must have sensed his thoughts as she called out, ‘It’s a bit of a hand-me-down; wearing something brand new would draw too much attention.’ He stepped out from behind the divider and Trea crouched and patted the floor next to her, ‘Come here!’

They sat down and Trea reached around him to pick up of bottle filled with a black, thick liquid. ‘This is what we use to change our hair colour so we look more like Hylians, not that you need to.’ She explained as she also pulled a wide bowl towards her already filled with water, ‘Just pour in a drop or two and see? All of the water turned the same colour! It’s much less gooey however. We just dip a wire brush into it and then brush it into our hair just like that and all that white hair is now black!’

She grabbed a brush made of thick bristles and dipped it into the mixture and held it to his head before pausing, ‘Just as a warning, it can hurt a bit and your roots may or may not be stained for a few days after, but that’s part of the fun! I used to hate how it looked so I would scrub my hair like crazy to get it out but I think I might be balding early because of it.’ Trea giggled as he exchanged a smile through his reflection in the mirror.

The woman began to run the brush through his hair, slowly changing its original colour. She worked in silence until all that remained of her task were to add touchups; brushing here and there, flicking water in certain areas until she said, ‘I forgot to ask; what did you think of our trip to the Lost Woods? That was your first time seeing actual greenery I think.’

He thought back to when they traveled outside the Gerudo Desert and the Canyon and when he saw a field of grass for the first time. He had seen plenty of grass as he crossed the digdog suspension bridge but whenever he looked upon Hyrule field from the Outskirt Stables was a true sight to behold. It felt like the opposite of desert; empty yet full of life. He remembered Trea had remarked she was surprised he didn’t find the trees more fascinating but they seemed to small and stout compared to the palms in the desert. Shortly afterwards she had offered to try to teach him how to fish since they wouldn’t be stopping by any inns or stables to avoid unwanted attention so they would have to catch their own meals, though she did try. No fish were biting so she got upset and shot them full of arrows while he seemed to have a natural knack for it so every worked out in the end.

Trea suddenly laughed, ‘Based on that grin on your face I take you liked it.’ He instinctively covered his mouth with his hand, earning more laughs from her. ‘I enjoyed it too. I wish we could do that more often rather than staying cooped up in this cave.’

He nodded in agreeance before she continued, ‘I wish when the clan was formed we made our base in the Akala region; you didn’t see it when we traveled but it’s a beautiful area full of high cliffs and miles of grass! It’s also on the coast so you can go fishing too.’ Her face beamed as she spoke about the place, recalling its details. ‘It reminds me of the Sheikah Village but I think I liked it more. I hope we can see it together sometime soon.’ Trea said with an almost wistful look before looking away so he couldn’t see her face in the mirror. ‘Now then all we need to do is put the finishing touches on your disguise and you can report for your mission.’

She fumbled around next to her through the various vials until she picked one up in particular, ‘This will change your eye colour very temporarily. It doesn’t last very long so only apply if you plan to speak to someone; if not keep your hood up and try not to make eye contact. They’ll just think it’s weird that your eyes changed. You can do this pretty much by yourself so there’s no point bothering with it now.’ Trea handed him the vial and stood up, offering a hand to help him.

‘Well that’s all there is to it! You like just like a normal traveler now.’

* * *

  
He stepped in the stable just as the sun touched the horizon donned in a dusty wool cape with a hood that covered his ink coloured hair and worn traditional Hylian clothing along with a threadbare pack. Anyone would think he was a normal, albeit scruffy traveler, however a trained eye might notice his hair was dyed due to the lack of sheen or perhaps that his eyes had a coloured film over them that dulled their shine. No one would guess under his clothing he wore the red attire of the Yiga clan along with their weapons of choice in his innocent traveler’s pack. It was all about misdirection to conceal what was truly worth hiding.

The Stable manager gave a welcoming smile as he entered and said, ‘Greetings traveler! Will you be resting here for the night or are you just here to try some our famous Mushroom Risotto?’

He found himself starting to nod eagerly to the the second option given by the manager but instead forced himself to sit at a table in the corner of the large tent, leaving the man very confused. ‘Well in case you change your mind about the soup I’ll ask my wife to cook an extra-large pot of it!’ he responded, his grin looking somewhat forced now.

The ‘traveler’ nodded and looked at the recipe for said dish on the wall in feigned interest, removing his hood as well. If he kept it on it might draw attention to himself as suspicious, especially if the princess would be here any moment.

‘Welcome Miss to the Gerudo Canyon Stables! Would you be interested in a place to rest or perhaps a plate of our famous Mushroom Risotto?’

He jumped in his seat and turned around to see a girl in a long cloak standing perfectly straight as she maintained eye contact with the stable manager. Though her hood covered most of face while the heavy fabric concealed whatever she wore underneath she had a regal, almost otherworldly feel about her. There was no doubt she was Princess Zelda, but he hadn’t expected her to arrive  _exactly_ moments after him. He watched as she exchanged pleasantries with the man; a gentle smile here and there along with a polite laugh as he attempted to tell a joke, yet the tone of her voice never gave away how anxious she was to end the conversation. Instead, she casually removed her hood and in the same motion reached under her cloak and placed her hand on the counter, lightly tapping a red rupee she now held just loud enough to distract him from the drawn out conversation. She had a natural knack for speaking to others; something he found admirable since he was one of few words but she was still just a target on his mission.

He was pulled out his thoughts when he noticed she was now looking back at him, her eyes full of a worry that matched his. Did she know what he was or was she simply concerned he recognized her? Thinking quickly he got up from his seat and walked towards her casually. As he advanced each step she he could see her grow increasingly anxious until he simply walked past her outside the stable to the cooking pot.

‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist the smell, boy!’ The stable manager chuckled as Princess Zelda gave a small sigh of relief, once again aligning to how he felt. He would have to be more careful next time or else he may not be able to walk his way out of his predicament.

Time had passed and now the sky was a mix of purple and red; dusk. The guards had arrived to the stable exactly ten minutes after her and were now huddled at the table inside, paying no attention to any of the travelers as they helped themselves to mushroom risotto. He ignored them as he looked out of corner of his eye from his spot by the cooking pot where he could see the princess looking up at the cliffs in front of the stable in interest. When would she be leaving into the desert? The temperature would perfect to cross now and the beds at the oasis were more comfortable, at least in his experience. From inside the stable he heard two deep laughs, presumably the guards, before they died down into what they considered whispering. Based on how loud their voices were regardless, they must have not had very good hearing. Whatever they were joking about before quickly turned into a serious conversation however even from outside he could hear them quite clearly.

‘-I’m going to have my family take all they can carry and head to Termina; at least they can live on while I protect Hyrule, or try to anyway.’ One of the guards spoke in a hushed tone.

‘When I became a knight I knew one day I might give up my life but not like this. I’d like to knock that Calamity right back where it came from when it shows its face but according to legend the _Princess_ and some hero are supposed to. Not us.’ The other replied, though he couldn’t see his face he could feel the venom in his words when he spoke of the Princess. They were her protectors; why would they think so poorly of her?

‘What good are legends if all they do is amount to our doom? The Princess doesn’t have any powers to defeat them and she isn’t even trying while whoever the hero is is sure taking their sweet time showing up.’ The first guard said, ‘Hyrule is already dead; we’re basically all living just to die.’

‘At least we can look forward to hot sweltering day tomorrow in the Gerudo Desert,’ the second commented sarcastically. He said more but at that point the ‘traveler’ was no longer listening.

So the Princess had no powers? Master Kohga would be interested to hear that if his informants hadn’t already told him. They also planned to leave in the morning. An odd choice but his mission wasn’t to judge them. He would wait for the Princess and her guards to rest before he slipped away and tell the clan. By the afternoon he could consider his task a success.

He felt an all too familiar sensation of eyes on him and turned to see the Princess herself looking at him from across the stable. They locked eyes for a moment before she turned away, glancing behind her at the guards who still continued to speak badly of her. He pulled his hood over his head and huddled closer to the fire, listening to the sounds of the night.


End file.
